Bmw outdrive stuck up any ideas

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Waters reach

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Hi
Can anyone tell me how to get my bmw outdrive down , it went up OK but when I pressed to go down it does nothing. I have heard that standing on it with someone pressing the button will help ? The leg has been in the down position for quite a long time. But went up fine just won't go back down. The other thing is I can't seem to locate the oil reservoir, where should it be please ? The outdrive is attached to a 6 cylinder bmw 2.5 liter petrol engine.
 
Waters reach said:
Hi
Can anyone tell me how to get my bmw outdrive down , it went up OK but when I pressed to go down it does nothing. I have heard that standing on it with someone pressing the button will help ? The leg has been in the down position for quite a long time. But went up fine just won't go back down. The other thing is I can't seem to locate the oil reservoir, where should it be please ? The outdrive is attached to a 6 cylinder bmw 2.5 liter petrol engine.
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Have you asked previous owner.
 
Waters reach said:
Hi
Can anyone tell me how to get my bmw outdrive down , it went up OK but when I pressed to go down it does nothing. I have heard that standing on it with someone pressing the button will help ? The leg has been in the down position for quite a long time. But went up fine just won't go back down. The other thing is I can't seem to locate the oil reservoir, where should it be please ? The outdrive is attached to a 6 cylinder bmw 2.5 liter petrol engine.
Click to expand...

No idea at all, so a few guesses. You mention "pressing the button" - so it's electric solenoid valves? That's something you could check. If it's gone up OK I wouldn't expect oil level to be the problem. Is there a locking mechanism that holds it fully up? Jumping on it shouldn't be necessary.
 
Yes its electronic with solenoids if there's a locking device would it be automatic as I didn't put it on i can't even find rhe reservoir. Someone said if tge piston has got stuck to stand on it and press the button down on it and it should free it. I didn't want to do this in case I damage something
 
operate the switch listen for a pump running, if not check faulty switch then pump, if it is running check oil level, if it is running also look over the transom is oil leaking from the drive-suspect hydraulic hose or rams, if none of the above look at the positioning unit to see if its working.
 
Have you checked the pump relay switch is working. Really finding the pump and oil reservoir cant be that hard. When someone pushes up which works listen for it.
 
Waters reach said:
The pump works on the up. The leg is now fully up but nothing on the down not even a click from the solenoid.
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That's a clue. Apparently no power to the solenoid. Switch could be faulty, check power to the switch and operation of switch with test lamp or multimeter. If that's OK check power is getting to solenoid - wiring could be open circuit. Solenoid itself could also have gone open circuit.
 
I used to have a BMW outdrive and it occasionally stuck all the way up as well, never found the cause but just stand on it while someone holds the switch and it will go down. It must drive past a non return valve to far or something, they all do that (y) It wont do it if you always stop a bit before you here the pump slowing as it reaches fully up.
 
Waters reach said:
The pump works on the up. The leg is now fully up but nothing on the down not even a click from the solenoid.
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Sounds like a fuse or a relay - or a loose wire less likely if it lifted - I had exactly the same problem on a Volvo unit not used for 3 years and the leg went up a treat but the load needed to get it to drop blew a fuse
 
Thanks guys for all your tips , hoping to go down to the marina this weekend so will try everything you've said, one point though about fuses, where do I find the fuse panel as I can't seem to locate it. Sorry guys I'm new to this boat and totally different to my last
 
Waters reach said:
Thanks guys for all your tips , hoping to go down to the marina this weekend so will try everything you've said, one point though about fuses, where do I find the fuse panel as I can't seem to locate it. Sorry guys I'm new to this boat and totally different to my last
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No idea! If it isn't in any of the obvious places, I'd start at the batteries and follow the general direction of the wiring.
 
Waters reach said:
Thanks guys for all your tips , hoping to go down to the marina this weekend so will try everything you've said, one point though about fuses, where do I find the fuse panel as I can't seem to locate it. Sorry guys I'm new to this boat and totally different to my last
Click to expand...
On my small motor boat there is no fuse panel but the electric switch panel has small circuit breakers. By the way, my outdrive has stuck up a couple of times and indeed, having someone stand on even and jump up down on it while hold the switch for down did the trick. BUT I could clearly hear the pump running when doing it. To prevent the drive from sticking when parking the boat for a long time I don't tilt the drive all the way up but leave it down a few inches. Then if it sticks when I go up that seems to free it for going back down.
 
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